45- Work is a message of life

45- Work is a message of life

The First Khutbah
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds. Who has encouraged us to engage in beneficial work in His Noble Book, the Qur'an. I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, the uniquely One who has no partners in His one-ness. And I testify that our Sayyid, our Prophet, Sayyiduna Muhammad, is the slave of Allah and His Messenger. O Allah, send Your peace and blessings upon him and upon whomsoever follows him in guidance until the Last Day.

To Continue: I advise you, O slaves of Allah and myself, with the Taqwa of Allah, for verily Allah says:
وَإِنْ ‌تُحْسِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا
But if you do good and fear Allah - then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. [Qur'an: 3:128]

O Believers: Indeed, the work and vocation of a human being is a form of dignity and nobility facilitated for him, for through it he builds his nation and earns respect in his task. Through it he more importantly attains unto the pleasure of the Lord of all the Worlds and the reward given therein. For Allah is the One who has facilitated the Earth for us, precisely so that we may work in it, and strive thereby in enabling its maintenance and the building of civilization.

As Allah says:
هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا
It is He who made the earth tame for you - so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision [Qur'an: 67:15]

In similar spirit, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said about a person who was active and alert in his work, that a person who strives in this effort is in the way of Allah.

He said:
إِنْ كَانَ خَرَجَ يَسْعَى عَلَى نَفْسِهِ لِيُعِفَّهَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
If this person has gone out to strive by himself in order to facilitate things for his life then such a person is in the way of Allah. [Mu'jam al-Kabir al-Tabarani]

Indeed, the striving of a person and his earning provision brings much benefit for his children and family. Through it he takes care of their needs and supports them, helping to educate his children, thus becoming like a shepherd to his flock and a leader in the community. So, by these efforts he becomes someone who deserves to be honored and remembered and with Allah he attains a great reward and rank. So looking after one's family is not a small thing, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:
إِنْ كَانَ يَسْعَى عَلَى وَلَدِهِ صِغَارًا ‌فَهُوَ ‌فِي ‌سَبِيلِ ‌اللَّهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ خَرَجَ يَسْعَى عَلَى أَبَوَيْنِ شَيْخَيْنِ كَبِيرَيْنِ فَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ... وَإِنْ كَانَ خَرَجَ يَسْعَى عَلَى أَهْلِهِ فَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
If a person strives to support his small child then such a person is in the way of Allah. If he leaves his house and strives to support his elderly parents then he is in the way of Allah. If he leaves his house and strives to support his family then he is in the way of Allah. [Mu'jam al-Kabir al-Tabarani]

So, let us not belittle any efforts or work done. For the efforts of the worker or the employee in his work, in his ensuring mastery in what he does helps contribute to the foundations of family life, which is the bedrock of society. It is such diligent work that helps facilitate the lives of any society's members, allowing for communities to be happy, providing the basis of stability and a good example for children to excel and prosper in their lives. This is the way of wisdom, a way that helps enable civilizational advancement, continual improvement through appropriate technology and sound innovation founded on holistic principles that preserves human prosperity in difficult times.

I say this and seek forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness for He is the most-forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Second Khutbah
All praises are for Allah, the One, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, and whomsoever follows them in the best of ways.

O Worshippers: Indeed, beneficial work is a message put forward for life itself. A person who is still capable to work puts forward a message by his nature of work to others. This is a message of his attitude to life itself.

For the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:
إِنْ قَامَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَبِيَدِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَسِيلَةٌ، فَإِنِ اسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ لَا تَقُومَ حَتَّى يَغْرِسَهَا فَلْيَفْعَلْ
If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it. [Adab al-Mufrad by Imam Bukhari]

Nations are built on the assuming of responsibility to work, to think about the future. This is why our duty to work and sense of vocation is a trust. Nations across the world only exist through the combined efforts of its people, if they were to stop working then whole nations could collapse.    So each of us are tasked to the best of our abilities to strive in their work and field of expertise to uphold our common social fabric.  

We are all interconnected, and the efforts of some translates into the efforts of all, this is what helps increase and improve the prosperity of human civilization. So let us seek to instill this culture of work and effort in the hearts of our daughters and our sons, for they are the makers of the future, and the basis of our hope. We ask Allah that He further enable and bless our leaders to continue to support this field of work. They have opened the doors for young people to find work, and have facilitated for them various opportunities to do their best for the country, offering it the fruit of their knowledge and experience.